When you’re an adult and you have an already busy daily life, it’s really difficult to learn a foreign language. The German daily The Sueddeutsche Zeitung therefore asked polyglots for their advice on how to achieve this without tearing their hair out.
Here are eight things to remember:
1. The Post-it Method
Kerstin Cable is German and has lived in England for almost twenty years. She has learned ten languages, teaches and also shares language learning tips online. According to her, you have to clearly identify why you want to learn a language: attraction to a culture, professional need, love story, etc. Next, Kerstin Cable suggests putting Post-its everywhere with the word corresponding to the object in the language you want to learn. If you spend a lot of time on social media, follow people who speak that language.
2. The Shakira Effect
Lindsay Williams started learning French when she was 8 years old. This Brit went on to study applied linguistics and now speaks 14 languages. She gives private lessons, writes books and blogs. She advises to let yourself be carried away by your desires and not to impose on yourself a school framework that is too restrictive. The use of applications can also be interesting, but you should not “rely on that alone. […] You don’t learn to speak with it and often only get a limited amount of vocabulary.” Furthermore, Lindsay Williams thinks that “everyone needs a Shakira!”. “Every time I didn’t feel like it anymore, I listened to his songs and I knew again why I wanted to speak Spanish”, she explains.
“I recommend everyone find something like this, a song, a movie, a dish, a book, something that you have an emotional connection to, that will inspire you at first and later remind you why you wanted to learn this language.”
3. Don’t be shy
Brian Loo Soon Hua is Malaysian and grew up speaking Malay, Chinese and English. He works on projects to save endangered indigenous languages and is a linguist at a London-based company that develops language learning apps. Brian Loo Soon Hua learned Turkish while living in Istanbul for a few months and can continue to practice it thanks to a friend’s wife. For him, there is nothing more important than conversation. And, when you don’t live in the country, you can use social networks and sign up for Meetups.
“It is important that you dare to speak from the start, even if you only know a few words. Many people are shy and afraid of making mistakes. Most native speakers appreciate your going to the trouble of learning their language and are often happy to help.” souligne Brian Loo Soon Hua.
4. Tailor-made learning
Lydia Machova is Slovak and speaks nine languages. She organized a conference for polyglots, the Polyglot Gathering, and wrote an e-book on the Goldlist method. According to her, there is little point in consuming vocabulary lists and it is better to find words or subjects that interest us and learn them.
In addition, Lydia Machova advises not to go to the country right away, but to first learn some basics to be able to be comfortable.
“I studied Russian at home for a year and a half, then I traveled on the Trans-Siberian and was able to chat with other passengers.”
Finally, try to learn only one language at a time and intensively. In two years, it would thus be possible to reach level B2.
5. Turn on the radio and monologue in the shower
Matthew Youlden is from Manchester. At 8, he learned Greek and hasn’t really stopped since. Today, he teaches English and ten other languages and takes on challenges like “learn turkish in a week” with his twin brother, Michael.
His first piece of advice is to talk to each other: “It lets you get used to how the new language sounds. It can be in front of the mirror or in the shower. You can comment on what you are doing and say out loud: Now I will turn on the water. Oh, but it’s cold. Where’s the shampoo? You can also record yourself and listen to what your pronunciation sounds like, to see what you would like to improve.”
His second piece of advice is to not hesitate to mix languages. “Many children who grow up bilingual speak to each other or to their parents like this: a few words in German or English, a few words in Turkish, Arabic or Persian. It is an excellent method.”
His third piece of advice is to listen to the radio, while having breakfast for example. “It helps me at first to get used to the sound and rhythm. As I understand better, it helps me learn new words.”
6. Learn turns of phrase
Gabriel Gelman is a German aeronautical engineer and the founder of one of the largest language learning websites in Germany. He speaks six languages, including Russian.
“I don’t learn individual words, but building blocks, I call them language blocks”, he explains. To identify idioms, there’s nothing like movies or podcasts, the important thing is to find one that matches your level.
7. Know yourself
LeDonna Jackson lives in Chicago and trained to teach foreign languages. She has been blogging on this subject since 2013. When she learns a language, she really needs to understand its structure and know the grammar, which for her takes precedence over vocabulary. She also gives herself deadlines. But “it won’t work for other people, so i think the most important thing is to reflect on yourself and understand what kind of person you are”. In short, everyone has their own method.
8. Don’t overlook accent and vocal inflections
Archana Parmar teaches business English and works as a communication coach in India. Like many Indians, she grew up speaking several languages. According to her, learning a language is not just about words.
“I watch videos on YouTube and imitate what people do, she says. This also applies to tone: should you always speak in the same pitch, or change vocal inflections often; in other words, is the language very melodious? And which words are accented? You also have to try to imitate that if you want to speak well.”
Do you speak more than three languages? How did you learn? What advice would you give today? Tell us by writing to us at expat@courrierinternational.com and we will publish your testimony.